International Consensus Classification of acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/trf.16661

Blood shortages planning in Canada: The National Emergency Blood Management Committee experience during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rapid and non-invasive discrimination of acute leukemia bone marrow supernatants by Raman spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis

In March 2020, the WHO declared the SARS‐CoV‐2 corona virus a pandemic which caused a great disruption to global society and had a pronounced effect on the worldwide supply of blood.

White paper on pandemic preparedness in the blood supply

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raised concerns about the vulnerability of platelet supply and the uncertain impact of the resumption of elective surgery on utilization. We report the impact of COVID-19 on platelet supply and utilization across a large, integrated healthcare system in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Historical platelet use in BC by indication was compiled for fiscal year 2010/2011-2019/2020. Platelet collections, initial daily inventory and disposition data were assessed pre-COVID-19 (1 April 2018-15 March 2020) and for two COVID-19 time periods in BC: a shutdown phase with elective surgeries halted (16 March-17 May, 2020) and a renewal phase when elective surgeries resumed (18 May-27 September 2020); comparisons were made provincially and for individual health authorities. RESULTS: Historically, elective surgeries accounted for 10% of platelets transfused in BC. Initial daily supplier inventory increased from baseline during both COVID-19 periods (93/90 units vs. 75 units pre-COVID-19). During the shutdown phase, platelet utilization decreased 10.4% (41 units/week; p < 0.0001), and remained significantly decreased during the ensuing renewal period. Decreased platelet utilization was attributed to fewer transfusions during the shutdown phase followed by a decreased discard/expiry rate during the renewal phase compared to pre-COVID-19 (15.2% vs. 18.9% pre-COVID-19; p < 0.0001). Differences in COVID-19 platelet utilization patterns were noted between health authorities. CONCLUSION: Decreased platelet utilization was observed in BC compared to pre-COVID-19, likely due to a transient reduction in elective surgery as well as practice and policy changes triggered by pandemic concerns.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/vox.13180

Impacts of COVID-19 and elective surgery cancellations on platelet supply and utilization in the Canadian Province of British Columbia.

Background B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy, and its diagnosis requires immunophenotypically demonstrating blast B cell lineage differentiation. Expression of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in B-ALL is well-described and it has been recognized that a diagnosis of mixed phenotype acute leukemia should be made cautiously if MPO expression is the sole myeloid feature in these cases. We sought to determine whether MPO expression in pediatric B-ALL was associated with differences in laboratory, immunophenotypic, or clinical features. Methods We reviewed clinical, diagnostic bone marrow flow cytometry, and laboratory data for all new B-ALL diagnoses at our pediatric institution in 5 years. Cases were categorized as MPO positive (MPO+) or negative (MPO-) using a threshold of ≥20% blasts expressing MPO at intensity greater than the upper limit of normal lymphocytes on diagnostic bone marrow flow cytometry. Results A total of 148 cases were reviewed, 32 of which (22%) were MPO+. MPO+ B-ALL was more frequently hyperdiploid and less frequently harbored ETV6-RUNX1; no MPO+ cases had KMT2A rearrangements or BCR-ABL1. Although not significantly so, MPO+ B-ALL was less likely than MPO- B-ALL to have positive end-of-induction minimal residual disease studies (9.4 and 24%, respectively), but relapse rates and stem cell transplantation rates were similar between groups. Aberrant expression of other more typically myeloid markers was similar between these groups. Conclusion In our study cohort, MPO+ B-ALL showed minimal residual disease persistence less often after induction chemotherapy but otherwise had similar clinical outcomes to MPO- B-ALL, with similar rates of additional myeloid antigen aberrancy.

Clinical and laboratory features associated with myeloperoxidase expression in pediatric B-lymphoblastic leukemia

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/trf.16265

Adaptations of transfusion systems to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada: Early experiences of a large tertiary care center and survey of provincial activities.

Douglas Morrison

Papers

Clinical and laboratory features associated with myeloperoxidase expression in pediatric B-lymphoblastic leukemia

Adaptations of transfusion systems to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada: Early experiences of a large tertiary care center and survey of provincial activities.

Impacts of COVID-19 and elective surgery cancellations on platelet supply and utilization in the Canadian Province of British Columbia.